Dave Mandl
@dmandl.bsky.social
WFMU DJ, writer (The Wire, Los Angeles Review of Books, etc.), bassist, photographer, amateur linguist. Founder, Brooklyn Psychogeographical Association.
Web: dmandl.tumblr.com
Instagram: @dmandl
Playlists from my radio show: https://wfmu.org/playlists/GX
Web: dmandl.tumblr.com
Instagram: @dmandl
Playlists from my radio show: https://wfmu.org/playlists/GX
New Yorkers: Get tickets for this (at Film Forum) before it sells out!
January 23, 2026 at 7:45 PM
New Yorkers: Get tickets for this (at Film Forum) before it sells out!
Delta Five
Slits
Public Servants
Oh-OK
Renaissance
Slits
Public Servants
Oh-OK
Renaissance
five concerts you’ve seen with women lead singers:
Elizabeth Fraser
Beth Gibbons
Ricky Lee Jones
Siouxsie Sioux
PJ Harvey
Elizabeth Fraser
Beth Gibbons
Ricky Lee Jones
Siouxsie Sioux
PJ Harvey
five concerts you’ve seen with women lead singers:
Nico Vega
The Dollyrots
The Muffs
Go Betty Go
The Bangles
Nico Vega
The Dollyrots
The Muffs
Go Betty Go
The Bangles
January 23, 2026 at 6:18 PM
Delta Five
Slits
Public Servants
Oh-OK
Renaissance
Slits
Public Servants
Oh-OK
Renaissance
The "Pass/Danger" signs on this truck are something you don't really see anymore. Drivers used to have a "blind spot" on the right, so it was dangerous to pass on that side. But now every car and truck has a mirror there, so no more blind spot.
January 23, 2026 at 5:24 PM
The "Pass/Danger" signs on this truck are something you don't really see anymore. Drivers used to have a "blind spot" on the right, so it was dangerous to pass on that side. But now every car and truck has a mirror there, so no more blind spot.
It seems pretty clear to me that Newsom's "knee pads" comment implies that all these toadies are eager to give Trump a b*** job. Will newspapers reporting the comment explain it, or just assume readers understand? Or is Newsom just saying people are "bending the knee," and I have a dirty mind?
January 23, 2026 at 1:41 PM
It seems pretty clear to me that Newsom's "knee pads" comment implies that all these toadies are eager to give Trump a b*** job. Will newspapers reporting the comment explain it, or just assume readers understand? Or is Newsom just saying people are "bending the knee," and I have a dirty mind?
"Teething troubles," in the sense of difficulty getting some new project or team off the ground, seems to be exclusively UK. The first time I heard it was from a manager I worked for who was Indian, presumably with a British education. #copyediting
January 23, 2026 at 1:25 PM
"Teething troubles," in the sense of difficulty getting some new project or team off the ground, seems to be exclusively UK. The first time I heard it was from a manager I worked for who was Indian, presumably with a British education. #copyediting
What's left for you if you've grown reluctant to do thinking, writing, creating, and analyzing?
AI is replacing tasks we have grown reluctant to do ourselves – thinking, writing, creating, analysing.
Is AI hurting your ability to think? How to reclaim your brain
AI is replacing tasks we have grown reluctant to do ourselves – thinking, writing, creating, analysing.
tcnv.link
January 23, 2026 at 1:05 PM
What's left for you if you've grown reluctant to do thinking, writing, creating, and analyzing?
I'll admit that I value vibe/mood (psychogeography?) over many other elements in films, and on that score "Girl with Hyacinths" is the best thing I've seen in a while. Fantastic moody mystery by Swedish director Hasse Ekman, now showing on the Criterion Channel.
January 23, 2026 at 12:59 PM
I'll admit that I value vibe/mood (psychogeography?) over many other elements in films, and on that score "Girl with Hyacinths" is the best thing I've seen in a while. Fantastic moody mystery by Swedish director Hasse Ekman, now showing on the Criterion Channel.
I'm barely familiar with the far-right meme-osphere, but even I can see that official government proclamations and social-media posts have been dripping with barely concealed neo-Nazi (or paleo-Nazi) references. This should be a bigger deal.
Some official U.S.-government social-media accounts have become a reliable stream of xenophobic messaging that aims to redefine what it means to be American, @alibreland.bsky.social reports:
The Government’s Posts Just Took a Sharp Far-Right Turn
Government social-media managers have turned official feeds into streams of xenophobia.
bit.ly
January 23, 2026 at 12:33 PM
I'm barely familiar with the far-right meme-osphere, but even I can see that official government proclamations and social-media posts have been dripping with barely concealed neo-Nazi (or paleo-Nazi) references. This should be a bigger deal.
Paterson, NJ. I've been working on a photo series called "Urban Monoliths" on and off for more than twenty years, and this may be the most literally monolithic picture I've made. I wish it had been in Brooklyn. #photography
January 22, 2026 at 2:31 PM
Paterson, NJ. I've been working on a photo series called "Urban Monoliths" on and off for more than twenty years, and this may be the most literally monolithic picture I've made. I wish it had been in Brooklyn. #photography
The fascism/racism/white supremacy is nothing new. What is (relatively) new is the sick 4chan-derived meme-irony that these people get their jollies from. Eichmann with a joy buzzer.
The Trump administration has extended its immigration enforcement campaign to Maine, home to a large Somali population. ICE says the operation, called “Operation Catch of the Day,” began Wednesday.
January 22, 2026 at 1:16 PM
The fascism/racism/white supremacy is nothing new. What is (relatively) new is the sick 4chan-derived meme-irony that these people get their jollies from. Eichmann with a joy buzzer.
A thing about playing improvised music is that you can listen to a recording of your own performance and be completely surprised at what you and your bandmates did, especially if some time has passed. Ideally, pleasantly surprised. "I made that?"
January 22, 2026 at 1:07 PM
A thing about playing improvised music is that you can listen to a recording of your own performance and be completely surprised at what you and your bandmates did, especially if some time has passed. Ideally, pleasantly surprised. "I made that?"
I want to see the profiles of the schmucks who bought into this. Absolutely no sympathy for them.
January 22, 2026 at 12:54 PM
I want to see the profiles of the schmucks who bought into this. Absolutely no sympathy for them.
Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11 in G Minor, at Carnegie Hall: one of the most powerful pieces of music I've ever heard/seen. The orchestra is like a loaded weapon in this guy's hands. I was shaking my head in disbelief through much of the performance.
January 22, 2026 at 3:26 AM
Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11 in G Minor, at Carnegie Hall: one of the most powerful pieces of music I've ever heard/seen. The orchestra is like a loaded weapon in this guy's hands. I was shaking my head in disbelief through much of the performance.
Reposted by Dave Mandl
oh man, the Walker Art Center is going to be closed on Friday
(If you're not from the Twin Cities, this is like MoMA closing in support of a general strike—a very big deal)
(If you're not from the Twin Cities, this is like MoMA closing in support of a general strike—a very big deal)
Walker Art Center joins growing list of organizations closing on Jan. 23
"This reflects our institutional values to center our community, support our staff, and to approach our work with care and safety in mind," a representative says.
bringmethenews.com
January 21, 2026 at 11:28 PM
oh man, the Walker Art Center is going to be closed on Friday
(If you're not from the Twin Cities, this is like MoMA closing in support of a general strike—a very big deal)
(If you're not from the Twin Cities, this is like MoMA closing in support of a general strike—a very big deal)
The difference between what ICE is actually doing out there and what their leadership claims they're doing on all the TV news shows is incredible. Much much more brazen lies than usual, even by the standards of these liars.
Gas now being deployed at Mueller Park on 25th and Bryant Avenue in the Wedge (Minneapolis), maybe a mile away from the below incident. ICE now driving all over Whittier/Uptown and gassing people
ICE letting off tear gas at 29th and Blaisdell in Whittier (Minneapolis), convoy of agents, several people appear hurt by gas. Car left abandoned in the street
January 21, 2026 at 10:08 PM
The difference between what ICE is actually doing out there and what their leadership claims they're doing on all the TV news shows is incredible. Much much more brazen lies than usual, even by the standards of these liars.
Reposted by Dave Mandl
Life in Minnesota is terrifying right now, but every day I feel amazed by watching us wake up and go fuck with these absolute losers. Minnesota is going to annoy the regime to death and upon the graves of the fascists we'll erect a statue to Barb the librarian who ran dispatch.
Small thread.
I was driving up to @makwacoffee.bsky.social bc I knew Roseville (a suburb next to St Paul) was lousy w/ ICE. 1/2 mile away I drive past an ICE agent, so I flip around (following every traffic law) & enter a lot where there were 5-6 ICE vehicles & probably 8 observer cars.
I was driving up to @makwacoffee.bsky.social bc I knew Roseville (a suburb next to St Paul) was lousy w/ ICE. 1/2 mile away I drive past an ICE agent, so I flip around (following every traffic law) & enter a lot where there were 5-6 ICE vehicles & probably 8 observer cars.
January 21, 2026 at 3:01 PM
Life in Minnesota is terrifying right now, but every day I feel amazed by watching us wake up and go fuck with these absolute losers. Minnesota is going to annoy the regime to death and upon the graves of the fascists we'll erect a statue to Barb the librarian who ran dispatch.
12th Ave.
"What are you doing?"
"Just getting a photo of that sign there."
"Whatever makes you happy."
"What are you doing?"
"Just getting a photo of that sign there."
"Whatever makes you happy."
January 21, 2026 at 1:22 PM
12th Ave.
"What are you doing?"
"Just getting a photo of that sign there."
"Whatever makes you happy."
"What are you doing?"
"Just getting a photo of that sign there."
"Whatever makes you happy."
Radio gold here:
Special Shows of 2025! 2025 was a year of many special things, some of them on the radio. Carol Crow of Serious Moonlight Sonatas graciously put together a list of shows our DJs hand-picked as the cream of their crop of last year. Take a look here and enjoy the radio magic:
2025 Specials Round Up - WFMU SPECIALS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Advanced Search
wfmu.org
January 21, 2026 at 1:07 PM
Radio gold here:
A friend of mine suggested a bunch of us learn "Watcher of the Skies," the Genesis classic, for no particular reason, and I think it's a brilliant idea. I've wanted to learn the song since I was a kid but never had a reason to. Tonight we meet up and play it together! #Genesis #prog #Mellotron
January 20, 2026 at 4:33 PM
A friend of mine suggested a bunch of us learn "Watcher of the Skies," the Genesis classic, for no particular reason, and I think it's a brilliant idea. I've wanted to learn the song since I was a kid but never had a reason to. Tonight we meet up and play it together! #Genesis #prog #Mellotron
Bring an hour's worth of sunshine into your world by listening to last night's installment of my radio show, "It's Complicated," with music by Guapo, Skyline, Jefferson Airplane, and so much more. Playlist and clickable archive here: www.wfmu.org/playlists/sh... @wfmu.bsky.social
It's Complicated with Dave Mandl
Audio & playlist from January 19, 2026
www.wfmu.org
January 20, 2026 at 3:09 PM
Bring an hour's worth of sunshine into your world by listening to last night's installment of my radio show, "It's Complicated," with music by Guapo, Skyline, Jefferson Airplane, and so much more. Playlist and clickable archive here: www.wfmu.org/playlists/sh... @wfmu.bsky.social
Keep your congregants up to date at all times with a state-of-the-art electronic bulletin board!
January 20, 2026 at 1:13 PM
Keep your congregants up to date at all times with a state-of-the-art electronic bulletin board!
Too bad Mamdani has to deal with this, and it will probably only get worse. A DSA-affiliated friend of mine said that she felt Gaza was the most important item on Mamdani's agenda, which seemed, um, counterintuitive for a NYC mayor.
The mayor wants to keep his focus on New York, not Israel. Three weeks in, it’s already a challenge.
Mamdani’s Israel Balancing Act Has Just Begun
The mayor wants to keep his focus on New York, not Israel. Three weeks in, it’s already a challenge.
nymag.com
January 20, 2026 at 11:39 AM
Too bad Mamdani has to deal with this, and it will probably only get worse. A DSA-affiliated friend of mine said that she felt Gaza was the most important item on Mamdani's agenda, which seemed, um, counterintuitive for a NYC mayor.